Is it time to quit asking “what percentage of my donation is going to overhead?”


According to Dan Pallotta, it’s time to throw out the nonprofit rulebook and level the playing field if we are ever to see real social change.
This past week, Dallas Social Venture Partners had the extreme pleasure of hosting Dan Pallotta  for their 3rd luncheon in this year’s Social Innovation series. As a part of the DSVP goal to provide a forum for people to start talking about new and different ideas, this event did not disappoint. Comments made by attendees leaving the event included everything from “Holy Cow – I think I’ve found a new purpose in life….” and “We do need to reinvent the nonprofit sector” to “Did the Puritans really create “charity” to stay out of hell?”

Author of Amazon’s number 1 bestseller in the charity category “Uncharitable: How Restraints on Nonprofits Undermine Their Potential,” Dan Pallotta delivered his take on ‘Capitalism for Good’ and presented a compelling rationale for why today’s nonprofit paradigm needs to be not just transformed, but completely overhauled and turned upside down if we are to ever truly solve our social issues.

The sold out lunch crowd got an up close look at what Dan described as 2 rulebooks: one for charity and one for the rest of the economic world. “We blame capitalism for creating these huge inequities in our society. Presumably because capitalism is a very powerful thing - it would have to be powerful to create huge inequities in our society. Despite that power in our knowledge of it, we refuse to allow the nonprofit sector to actually use the tools of capitalism to rectify those inequities.”

In his interpretation, the charity rulebook discriminates against the nonprofit sector on five fronts:

1. Disparity in Compensation:

The nonprofit sector cannot compete with the for-profit sector when it comes to attracting top talent to lead their organizations. The for-profit sector allows for the payment of a competitive wage based on the value somebody produces without limit. Conversely, society does not like to see people earn a lot of money in charity. As Dan put it, “Interesting that we don’t have a visceral reaction to the notion that people want and do make a lot of money NOT helping other people. You want to make millions selling violent video games to kids, go for it and we’ll put you on the cover of Wired Magazine. You want to make a half-million dollars trying to cure kids with leukemia, you’re a parasite.”

2. Disparity in Marketing and Advertising:

The for-profit sector gets every advantage to maximize spending on advertising until the last dollar no longer produces a penny of value. But we don't like to see our donations spent on advertising and charity, even though by following the for-profit model, non-profits could create a market and demand for their products/services. The prevailing attitude is, if you can get advertising and marketing donated, that’s fine but donations should go to the needy. Almost as if the money spent on advertising couldn’t dramatically enlarge the amount of money to go to the needy. As founder of Pallotta TeamWorks, which invented the multiday AIDSRides and Breast Cancer 3-Days, Dan explained that had they not spent money for quality advertising and marketing to support the Aids and Cancer fundraising events, the half billion dollars raised for charity would not have ever happened. Another way he underscored this point, “Imagine if we told Apple, hey, the new iPad - you ought to advertise it but only to the extent you can get the advertising donated at 3 o'clock in the morning or on the last page of the sports section.”

3. Risk-taking

Not risk-taking in terms of program delivery, but rather, risk-taking in the pursuit of new donors to raise more money. Non-profits are terrified to try big, bold new community fundraising endeavors for fear that if it fails, it will be the end of them. Meanwhile, in the for-profit arena, it’s considered part of the business model to allow for a percentage of product endeavors to not realize their full potential. Unlike businesses, if a nonprofit does a large fundraising event and it doesn’t produce a 70% return to the cause in the first 12 months, the organization is called into question.

4. Time Horizon

The for-profit sector has an advantage when it comes to time horizon. Although a business, such was the case with Amazon.com, can go 6 years without returning a profit to investors in the simple interest of a longer-term goal to build market dominance, the same scenario would not be acceptable for a charity that had ambitions of building scale. As it exists today, for a nonprofit to go 5 years without any money going to the needy would be, in nearly all cases, unacceptable.


5. Capital
The discrimination between the for-profit and nonprofit in this area lies with for-profits being able to pay people for money in order to attract their capital. The nonprofit sector by definition cannot. This equates to the for-profit sector being in a position to monopolize a multi-trillion dollar capital market while the nonprofit sector is starved for growth and risk capital, which it is prohibited from spending anyway.

The effects of the separate rulebooks are sobering. To further underscore the rulebook issue, Dan pointed out, since the 1970’s, the number of nonprofit organizations that have grown to pass the $50 million annual revenue barrier is 144. The number of for-profits that have crossed are 46,136. In that same period of time, charitable giving has remained the same at 2% of the GDP. What does this tell us? Basically, that in the past 40 years, the nonprofit sector has not been able to take market share away from the for-profit sector.

So how are the rulebooks supposed to change? What should be the goal? Where do nonprofits begin?

Here are a few little hints from Dan:

The rulebooks can change when we think outside the box. In order to think out of the box, we need to understand the box we’re in. Digging into the 5 barriers is a great place to start.

The ultimate goal: “It's about giving nonprofit organizations enormously greater freedom to spend money on the things we typically demonize as overhead so that they can raise enormously greater sums of money and have some hope of achieving some fraction of the scale of the massive social problems they are chartered to confront.”

Nonprofits should begin by considering the nonprofit sector as a cause in itself.



Still hungry for more, check out Dan’s book.

Valerie Strong Knight is the owner of Sunshine Avenue, a full service multi-media marketing firm dedicated to illuminating the brand, products and efforts of socially responsible businesses and organizations.  Formerly a CSR executive for a Fortune 10 company, Valerie now focuses her time and energy on helping socially responsible organizations realize a greater return on their investments and partnerships.

TRM Says Thanks to DSVP

Trinity River Mission, TRM - also known as Tutor, Read, Mentor, has been a DSVP investee for two years.  Through after school academic programs, they prepare students for success in school and life.  In a neighborhood that graduates less than 50% of students from high school, TRM students have been graduating on time at higher than 98%.  Believe and Achieve is the program for middle and high school  students.  As part of that, they are Reading Buddies to the younger kids.  Marlenee and Melanie wrote us this letter.






DSVP Partners,
We are happy to hear that TRM has partnered with you.  Because of this partnership other students will have the opportunity to receive programming resources like Melanie and I.  I have been a Reading Buddy for over two years, and even though i have only been with Melanie for  one year, she has turned into a big part of my life.  We both look forward to seeing each other on Wednesday and enjoy reading together.  Knowing that someone looks up to me makes me feel good and encourages me to take better decisions.  Seeing Melanie read on her own also motivates me to continue this partnership.  As a new Believe and Achieve student, i am glad to have a place that offers many programs for all grade levels.  Your partnership with TRM is an investment for my future and Melanie's.
Sincerely,
Marlenee - 11th grade
Melanie - kindergarden

VMLC Says Thank You to DSVP

"Last year I made a goal to pass the U.S. Citizenship Test. Now I am a
citizen of the U.S. I am very happy.”

-Gloria D.
 
Gloria was one of the first students at VMLC’s new campus in West Dallas. Education is important to Gloria and her next goal is to attend Mountain View College to become a medical assistant. She sets an example for her 3 children(ages 1, 5 and 7) on the importance of reading. Watching television isn’t permitted after school – only on weekends!
 
DALLAS SOCIAL VENTURE PARTNERS has helped VMLC further their mission of improving English literacy levels among non-English speaking adults and their young children.

VMLC provides free, award-winning adult English literacy and early childhood education
programs giving families the opportunity to improve their lives and become independent

and productive members of our community. VMLC currently serves more than 1,000 adults

and 200 young children in Vickery Meadow and West Dallas.

DSVP IN ACTION

Since VMLC’s selection as an investee less than 18 months ago, DSVP partners have made a significant contributions to the advancement of VMLC particularly in the areas of:

• Development of new logo and brand identity package
• IT improvements including networking of multiple campuses and VoIP
• Strategic plan development
• Board Development and Training

Youth Village Resources of Dallas Thanks the Partners of DSVP!

YVRD has been in DSVP’s portfolio since 2008. Under co-Leads David Miller & Scott Chase, our Partners have engaged in projects including strategic planning, fund development planning, board training and program evaluation. Our financial investments, of over $142,000, have helped to underwrite a portion of salaries of both the executive and operations directors and underwrote a UTD to study on their program’s effectiveness.

Through your annual contribution to the Partnership, along with gifts “beyond” to our Children First Fund, you’re a vital part of Youth Village Resources’ mission and impact!

Executive Director Jerry Silhan has asked us to share gratitude from his staff and board through the following testimonial from a resident of the Youth Village facility, which demonstrates the powerful results made possible by working together:

“I first got in real trouble when I was 14. I was arrested for selling marijuana and having a gun at school. Around the same time I had learned that my girlfriend was pregnant. I spent 10 days in detention and was released. Five days later I got caught for skipping school and ran from the police. A little over a year later I got caught again with a gun at school but it wasn’t mine. My best friend’s sister had been raped by some of the guys at school and he brought a gun to school to take care of them later. I took the gun from him to prevent him from getting in some real trouble. When the school principal was alerted to a gun at school my locker was searched and I was arrested again. This time got sent to the Dallas County Youth Village.

I had no idea what to expect when I got to the Youth Village. I just surrendered to whatever was going to happen. Some of my toughest moments were my weekly 5 minute phone calls when my girlfriend would be crying and I could hear my daughter in the background asking where daddy is.

My Probation Officer at the YV told me about Youth Village Resources of Dallas and some of their classes I could take that could maybe help me get a job when I got out. I asked her to please put my name on the list for the computer class and the culinary arts class. I passed both classes and got certificates. I also got my food handler license and then heard about Café Momentum from some of the older guys who had already worked at one. I got chosen to be trained to work at the next Café Momentum dinner. I worked three CM dinners before my release back home. I was able to get my GED as well. I interviewed and got a job with the Conference Hospitality Group using the resume YVRD helped me create that listed my job skills and references.

I know I would probably already be back in trouble if I did not have this job and a future. I am taking care of my daughter, helping pay my mother’s rent and will marry my girlfriend after she graduates from High School this year.”

DSVP Social Innovation Lunch with Lucy Bernholz - Networked Philanthropy

I was watching a video recently that my college roommates and I’d made toward the end of our senior year in college. In it we treat the audience to such trivialities as a certain new DSVP partner who would don a black leather jacket, call himself the “Midnight Raider,” and, well… raid the pantry of snacks around, say… midnight. As the video embarrassingly progresses from caper to caper, a seemingly minor detail made a stark impression. In one scene, you hear my phone ring off screen. I go to retrieve it and the gadget I flip open hardly seems even a distant cousin to the sophisticated, sleek, touch screen devices that are frequently attached to our ears today. Compared to my two-toned LED phone, even the least of our current mobile teles seem space-aged.

Advancements similar to the hyper-evolution of our phones in technology have improved our ability to consume information, tether ourselves to friends and family thousands of miles away, and quite literally live and learn in an instant. This new world has also begun to have a significant impact in the way we enact to accomplish social good.



Lucy Bernholz came by to speak with over 150 attendees from DSVP and the Dallas community about just this development – new technologies of social good. A noted analyst of the philanthropic industry, author of “Disrupting Philanthropy: Technology & the Future of the Social Sector” and founder of Blueprint Research & Design, Bernholz consults with corporations and individuals who want their giving to be impactful. She serves as a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, and her blog, Philanthropy 2173, has been called a “philanthropy game changer” by The Huffington Post and was named a “Best Blog” by Fast Company Magazine.

The first point Bernholz made very clearly was that we must expand our concept of technology beyond being a label for the gadgets, gizmos, and circuitry of our whosits and whatsits. Technological innovation in the world of social good also describes developments in systems of giving, rules that govern how we do good better (sound familiar?), and the new tools that expand the efficiency and reach of that work.

New Social Economy
The world of social good is now more complex than it was 20 years ago. Instead of simply operating under familiar terms of “non-profits” and “philanthropy”, we’ve made room for fancier tastes such as social investment dollars, B Corps, L3Cs, and microfinance. This expansion of ways to create social impact are the fauna of the what Bernholz calls the Social Economy. There are now more and more ways to become a Donor or Do-er. But the most important, and exciting, notion is that the best ways to function in the Social Economy have yet to be invented.

New Expectations
Technology is fundamentally altering the expectations of how we engage this new world. Whether its vastly increasing Reach (see: YouTube and Kony 2012), shifting the Roles of who are the funding decision-makers and where do they find each other (see: Awesome Foundation, Kickstarter), ratcheting up the speed of Responsiveness (see: Pinterest leverage in reversing Susan G. Komen decision), or reshaping the legal landscape for giving (see: Supreme Court decision Citizens United vs. FEC), there is a new status quo for our interaction with Social Economy. And it’s constantly evolving at the speed of possibility.

Data, Data, Data
Bernholz insists, “It’s about 1s and 0s”. The ability to capture things in digital representations is the key to what’s connecting us – the essence of Bernholz’s coined term, “the Internet of things”. Technological improvements have increased our sophistication in data collection. Consequently, this information from this improved data has become the currency of strategic and funding decisions in the social economy. “This century is the century of data, that’s the defining thing.”

Bernholz closes with the thought that these paradigm shifts that come with technology advancement have also created a host of questions that we have the fortune to begin to answer. An example: on the biogenetic horizon one of the most active emerging markets of the social economy will be in “philanthropy of the body”. Human tissue will become potentially the most valuable resource to help our fellow man through research or even transplants… but who will own that commodity? What are the legal implications of its transfer from one entity to the next? These conundrums and many more will require tomorrow’s enterprising minds to solve.

A wonderfully engaging and knowledgeable speaker, Bernholz asserted that her expertise was a direct result of engaging groups similar to the composites of the day’s audience – passionate and bright people who’ve dedicated their talents and treasures toward helping make their world just a bit better than it was the day before. DSVP Partner Jim Brewer, capped off the event, with words apropos from Martin Luther King, Jr., “There is an invisible book of time that records our vigilance or our neglect.” We truly look forward to continuing the Friday luncheon series with the vigilant as we increase our capacity to do good better… together.

Guest Blogger Byron Sanders

VP Group Excellence

For additional information, please check out these sites:

http://philanthropy.blogspot.com/2010/03/open-philanthropy-modest-manifesto.html

http://cspcs.sanford.duke.edu/publications/disrupting_philanthropy

http://radar.oreilly.com/2012/02/data-public-good.html

Impact Investing with Harvard's David Wood

On February 10, amidst a huge crowd of business, investment and nonprofit leaders, Dallas Social Venture Partners (DSVP) kicked off their 2012 Social Innovation Luncheon Series with a focus on Impact Investing. Hosting one of the field's leading voices on the subject, David Wood, Director of the Initiative for Responsible Investments at Harvard University, provided the attendees with an inside look at why impact investing is so appealing and where this "transformative philanthropy" is heading.





There's nothing like sitting in an audience and getting goose bumps listening to someone paint a picture for what, at one time, seemed beyond possible for investors with a social conscience - the ability to generate a financial return AND a sustainable positive social outcome from investments (click here for photos). As an organization that serves professionals and social entrepreneurs, the venue provided friends and Partners of DSVP with leading-edge insights for how they can make the most of their charitable contributions and business expertise.

Susan Hoff, board chair, summarizes the role of this Series, “DSVP is thrilled to be able to bring a distinguished group of speakers, including David Wood, to our community. We hope this Series will challenge our community to ‘think out of the box’ in order to maximize positive community impact through social innovation and cross-sector partnerships. Many thanks to The Dallas Foundation and our other generous sponsors for their interest in helping us share these ideas.”

The luncheon presentation was engaging, exciting and flew by entirely too fast for those that were hungry for every little detail about how to connect with the impact investing field. Being someone who isn't hardwired for "finance-speak", this presentation was surprisingly tasty thanks to David's humorous style of delivering the information instead of what could otherwise have been like eating dry toast.

For those of you that were unable to make the event, here are three key takeaways from the discussion:

1. The Impact Investing field is dynamic and fluid but the opportunities are real. Thanks to advancements in online technology and access over the past few years, investors have more opportunities and flexibility to create products that meet their needs. The field needs room to flourish and thus we shouldn't try to pin it down or set the bar too high for what we are trying to accomplish.

2. There is some skepticism about impact investing because it is challenging conventional wisdom and practice. Skeptics are wary to the newness of the field and have concerns for the amount of hype that is being generated. To ensure future success, the hype needs to be managed.

3. Impact investing holds the promise of attaining philanthropy's Holy Grail - SCALE and SUSTAINABILITY. Microfinance has become a metaphor for impact investing and is a model for what people are looking for in the field. Taking a closer look at Microfinance as an example, you'll find progressive and sustainable benefits, an emergence of a new financial industry sub sector and the best part, the model is delivering returns that are measurable.

There's no doubt that impact investing has become extremely appealing. Investors and philanthropists alike are highly motivated for what's possible - to be what you own, do more with less, deliver creative market-based solutions and leverage other resources to deliver a real impact.

Thank you, DSVP, for convening another great event to benefit our community in North Texas. The up close look at Impact Investing was empowering and definitely ranked high in the category of social innovation at its best. Oh, and the most important takeaway from the discussion - this is helping to make the world a better place for ALL of us.

For those interested in learning more about David's work at Harvard University's Initiative for Responsible Investment and other impact investing resources, please visit:

www.hausercenter.org/iri
http://www.moreformission.org/
http://www.thegiin.org/
http://www.ussif.org/
http://www.unpri.org/

To learn more about attending DSVP's Social Innovation Luncheon Series, please visit DSVP.org.


Valerie Strong Knight is the owner of Sunshine Avenue, a full service multi-media marketing firm dedicated to illuminating the brand, products and efforts of socially responsible businesses and organizations. Formerly a CSR executive for a Fortune 10 company, Valerie now focuses her time and energy on helping socially responsible organizations realize a greater return on their philanthropic investments and partnerships.


Photo Credit: Stephen Masker Photography http://www.stephenmasker.com/.

Social Innovation Lunch Series - Spring 2012

Dallas Social Venture Partners is excited, no ecstatic, to announce our third Social Innovation Lunch Series. What started as a monthly First Friday luncheon has evolved into a community gathering of change-agents who want to engage differently in advancing “good” in our region. The series will take place the first half of 2012, kicking of in January.

What is Social Innovation really?
Social Innovation is a theme that is not always understood. But in fact, communities and organizations are working differently to address some of our toughest challenges. What are the cutting edge ideas and tools that philanthropists, foundations, nonprofit leaders, and corporations can use to be a part of this exciting new frontier in the social sector?

What will I learn?
This is a must-attend series of thoughtful leaders who already have advanced the conversation in our nation around socially innovative ideas. Those who attend will have access to cutting edge ideas on mobilizing action, resourcing and financing innovative ideas, harnessing technology, and freeing nonprofits from restraints.

Who Should Come?
Those who believe that North Texas is a thriving region with strong businesses and socially innovative nonprofits that are effective. We recommend those who want to give back to the community, business and corporate leaders who seek a positive social impact alongside economic development, civic leaders who want to think differently, non-profit leaders who are innovative and anyone else who believes in the serious business of "good."

What inspired this Speaker Series?
DSVP leaders get to bump into all sorts of thought leaders at conferences and through our network. Many of these speakers have been selected for a particular book or article they have written and the ideas that they carry. We will post more information and links to the pre-reading that is not necessary, but recommended if you want to be a social innovation aficionado.

Where is this happening and how do I buy the Series?
The beautiful Tower Club at Thanksgiving Tower is where this series will be held. And you can buy your series tickets here!

Who are the Rock Star Sponsors who helped make this happen?

Boone Family Foundation
The Center on Communities & Education at the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education & Human Development

Commit!

United Way of Metropolitan Dallas

Partner Profile: Allen Hudson

Originally from Alabama, Allen's family moved to Dallas in 1972. He graduated from Richardson High School in 1979 and received his BA degree from Baylor University a BA Degree with a major in Finance and his MBA in 1984.

Allen is the President of the Dallas Banking Center for North Dallas Bank & Trust Co. whose mission includes the desire of the institution and employees to "to provide excellent service to our customers and communities." Allen believes that through DSVP, both he and the Bank can find expression of that desire to serve our community.

In his leisure time he enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading and time outdoors. When asked about his hobbies, Allen commented, "I spend time at the gym because I have to, however I hope to have a lot more hobbies when my two kids graduate from college."

Allen met his wife of 26 years Kristi while in graduate school at Baylor. They have two children, one in school at Texas A&M and the other at UT Austin.

My New Favorite Book

The End of Fundraising, Raise More Money by Selling Your Impact

Author: Jason Saul

A review by Stacy Caldwell, President of Dallas Social Venture Partners

I wish this book had a different title. Although catchy for many in our nonprofit sector, I tend to think the title doesn't communicate what this book so simply provides: a guide for nonprofits to jump into the Social Capital Markets (SCM).

This wonderful primer explores what constitutes the SCM and how to best position your nonprofit mission in that new frontier. Jason Saul not only addresses one the most difficult and challenging aspects of the philanthropy/charity equation, but he masterfully shines a light on the growing opportunities to lead with impact and help our missions to find our "Impact Buyers." By guiding us though the shift in thinking from values to value-driven missions, he outlines new innovative capital opportunities and expansive stakeholder thinking.

I found this book to be extremely poignant in today's transitional space between traditional charity/philanthropy approach and the emerging frontier of social capital markets. If you are interested in the next wave of social sector ideas and want to be on the cutting edge of strategies for nonprofits, this is a must read!

Juicy tidbits:

Don't change the donor, just change donors!

Deliver economic value, articulate your value and swim upstream with impact buyers

6 Implications of the growing social capital markets:

1. OK to expect economic return from doing good

2. Donors are acting like consumers

3. Measurement is no longer optional

4. Everyone must be a social entrepreneur

5. New stakeholders have different expectations of impact

6. Higher expectations of value require greater innovation

What it is not:

-It's not about making nonprofits run like businesses. It's about bringing nonprofits into the business world

-It's not about changing foundation and donor behavior, it's about engaging new and different "impact buyers"

-It's not about about "Social Return on Investment", it's about outcomes

-It's not about building "philanthropic capital markets", it's about finding the inherent value in the existing markets

Evaluation and Measurement are not the same.

An Activity is WHAT you do; an outcome is the RESULT of what you do.

Your measures need to be credible, practical and relevant.

Outcomes can be measured by:

Individual - Change of Status (Condition, behavior or status)

Organizational - ROI - increased revenues, improved reputation

Systemic - Systemic Change - changed policies, better incentives and increased investments

Value is based on the utility of the outcomes produced, because impact is being "purchased" by stakeholders who have a direct (not a theoretical) interest in the results. Therefore measurement, is by necessity, much more organic.

The trend is growing toward outcomes-based budgeting in federal and state government, and this will create even more discrete value-creation opportunities for nonprofits.

Meet the new stakeholders:

From: Beneficiaries, Board, Donors, Government, Foundation

To: Corporate Partners, Beneficiaries that can pay, Social Investors, Services Providers, Upstream "Consumers", Corporate Partners

Determine Who are Your Impact Buyers?

Ideation Challenge to nonprofits and SVPs:

Bring together a group of up to 20 diverse community friends and take an hour to explore and ideate on the following challenge. Give yourself a time limit of no more than one hour, perhaps over a brown-bag lunch!

How do we bring our nonprofits into the business markets by identifying new stakeholders in which our missions deliver value?

1. Expansive Stakeholder Exercise: Take 20 minutes to brainstorm who are the new stakeholders in the community and beyond who have a "vested interest" in the success of their mission? Chapter 4 defines these as Service Providers, Upstream Consumers, Corporate Partners, Beneficiaries that Pay, and Social Investors.

2. With each of these stakeholder groups, how does our nonprofit's mission do one of the following (ref. pg. 84-86):

-produce a direct economic impact for them

-act as a necessary predicate to achieve an economic advantage

-produce a desirable social change to which someone attaches financial value

Partner Profile: Carl Dorvil

Carl Dorvil grew up in Garland and graduated in 2005 from SMU with a Triple Major in Public Policy, Economics, and Psychology, with Distinction. He then went on to graduate with his MBA in 2008 from SMU Cox School of Business. Carl began his business while in school and now serves as CEO of Group Excellence, a for-profit company that serves youth through mentoring and tutoring.

When asked what brings him to DSVP, Carl responds, "I have been blessed with many different experiences and opportunities, and if I can pass along something significant to someone else, I should do it. He then adds, Bob Wright and George Ellis were key influences in that decision too!

Carl is an impressive motivational speaker and enjoys performing magic tricks!

Carl is married with two beautiful children - Carl and Kara are celebrating their daughters birthday with a spirit of philanthropy by opening a fund at Charity Water - to help families that do not have access to clean drinking water. An interesting tid-bit about one of our newest members...Carl can speak french and creole fluently, AND, the Dallas Business Journal named him one of the 40 under 40 this year.

Partner Profile: Marti Royer

Marti Royer’s career is anchored in the philanthropic world, as the Executive Director of the Redman Foundation in Dallas, a $7 million organization which funded some 35 non-profits in 2010. After a career in the technology industry as well as the non-profit world, and earning her MSW, she joined Redman in 2007. Like many foundations, Redman does not accept unsolicited grant requests – so a large part of Marti’s work there has her actively searching for non-profits which fit the Foundation’s mission of supporting a variety of charitable activities including early childhood education, job training, food and shelter, and community programs. Serving on DSVP’s Investment Committee has enabled her to leverage her search efforts on behalf of the Foundation, by identifying a number of candidates worthy of funding through the Committee’s extensive vetting process.

Marti joined DSVP in 2010, not long after attending the inaugural bigBANG! event. While she had been aware of DSVP’s work before that time, she was so impressed by what she saw at bigBANG! that it became the catalyst for her becoming a Partner herself. She immediately joined DSVP’s Investment Committee, then added the Community Relations Team, and has been consistently impressed by the level of intellect brought to the table by all of the Partners; the different points of view add up to a wealth of insights that Marti finds fascinating as well as exciting.

Her view is that philanthropy is so much more interesting when people get together to offer knowledge and guidance rather than just financial support alone; the collective brainpower of the Partners is a big help in sorting through all of the potential Investees, but that same expertise -- in terms of business advice and technical advice -- is leveraged further by the DSVP approach of making a multi-year commitment to its Investees. Of her Partnership experience to date, she says "There are many opportunities to serve as a volunteer in the community. What makes DSVP different is the collaboration of volunteers to build effectiveness and efficiencies of nonprofit organizations serving children."

Keith Beers

Keith Beers has been a DSVP partner for three years. Through their family foundation, Keith, wife Helen Laughlin Beers, and their five sons have been supporting area nonprofits for over thirty years. They like active participation with nonprofits, not just writing checks, so DSVP was a natural fit. Keith has contributed greatly to the work of DSVP’s Portfolio Review Committee; Investment Committee; Budget, Audit and Accounting Committee and Board of Directors. He has applied his financial acumen and rigorous attention to detail.

Retired for over 40 years, Keith and Helen have traveled extensively. They owned a 500-year-old stately home in England for over 20 years, and a 100-year-old home in Texas that is on the Register of Historic Places. Keith has written over ten books, mostly on genealogy. He has documented the genealogy of four of his ancestors who were Mayflower passengers, numerous Revolutionary War Patriots, and a Jamestowne settler thought to be the subject of Shakespeare’s Tempest.

“I have enjoyed my experience with DSVP,” says Keith. “I have met many interesting and engaging partners. I continue to be amazed at the depth and variety of partner collaboration with our Investees. Through DSVP, I have been introduced to numerous effective and growing nonprofits that are trying to meet the needs of the many underprivileged in Dallas-Fort Worth.”

Partner Profile: Robin Minick

Robin Minick joined DSVP in 2009 and immediately joined the Investment Committee, the vehicle DSVP uses to determine which nonprofits to add to their portfolio. She became an early champion of Dallas Community Lighthouse (DCL). DCL is an apartment-based after-school tutoring program focused on math, language arts and reading. DCL’s overall method and strategy is to look at the whole child and help the child get engaged in learning – which affects their performance in school. Once DCL was chosen, Robin became a co-Lead Partner and participated in creating a business and marketing plan to enable them to serve more children by adding more sites.

This year, Robin has increased her commitment by serving as Co-Chair, along with Dick Evans, of the Investment Committee, which will soon announce the new Investee slate for 2012. Robin additionally serves as the Director of The Real Estate Council Foundation and chairperson of the board at the Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico.

Partner Profile: Barbara Errickson

Barbara Errickson joined DSVP in 2009 and immediately began working with investees (nonprofit beneficiaries of DSVP’s efforts). Barbara has over 35 years of experience working with TI and EDS, among other companies. She has put that experience to use on major systems projects with, among others, KIPP DFW, Dallas After School Network (DASN), The Samaritan Inn, Youth Village Resources of Dallas and TRM. She also serves as co-lead partner for KIPP DFW, a south Dallas charter school whose mission is to provide underserved children with a free, rigorous, high quality education that offers the knowledge, skills and character traits necessary to thrive in school, college and the competitive world beyond. She is a shining example of how DSVP Partners bring their business skills into nonprofits to help expand their capacity to serve.

When asked about her “ultimate giving goal,” Barbara had this to say:

“I want to utilize 35-years of professional experiences in support of not-for-profit community growth. We may all be created equal in the sense that with equal upbringing and support we have an equal chance to succeed, but the fact is, not all of us have the kind of supportive family that I have. I'd like to help spread some of that "equal" support to the less fortunate but potentially talented among us.”

Partner Profile: Dick and Lisa Evans

Frisco resident Dick Evans and his daughter, Lakewood resident Lisa Evans, have come up with a new way to spend quality father-daughter time: in engaged philanthropy. Dick is CEO of Proliance Resource Group and has been a partner in DSVP since 2007. He has served on the Board of Directors since 2010, and has also served as co-chair of the committee which determines which nonprofits will receive grants. Dick has also worked extensively with two grantees: Vision Regeneration, a South-Dallas based group whose mission is to eradicate gang violence, and KIPP DFW, an Oak Cliff-based charter school whose mission is to provide underserved children with a free, rigorous, high-quality education.

But Dick has gone beyond his own efforts—he recruited his daughter, Lisa Evans, to be a co-partner with him. An account manager for Behringer-Harvard, Lisa spearheaded the development of a marketing campaign for VMLC (formerly known as Vickery Meadow Learning Center), including launching a new name and logo. She also participated in a door-to-door recruiting campaign for KIPP DFW, accompanying several DSVP partners as they knocked on doors to spread the word about the possibilities KIPP offers. Said Lisa of the experience, “everyone we spoke to was very interested in learning more about KIPP. They really liked the sound of a free, college preparatory school that would help their children receive a higher level of education and help them with character traits that would set them up for success in life.”

Dick comments that “Engaged Philanthropy is not reserved just for those in the later stages of life or those with years of “life experience”. Younger people not only bring energy but also a fresh perspective in how they look at opportunities and challenges. DSVP is a great way to introduce them to the various ways they can share this with their communities.”

VMLC

If you missed last week's DSVP Luncheon, featuring VMLC, take a moment to learn more about their mission through this short video.

VMLC VIDEO LINK

Partner Profile: Elaine Bernstein

Addison resident Elaine Bernstein moved to North Texas in 2009 when she semi-retired from her labor and employment law practice in Dayton, Ohio. Drawn by the desire to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren, Elaine also quickly established new personal, professional and philanthropic networks. She joined DSVP and immediately went to work putting her professional skills to use helping several Investees (nonprofit beneficiaries of DSVP’s efforts) develop human resources policies and manuals.

Elaine has also become Co-Lead Partner of VMLC, whose mission is to improve English literacy levels among non-English speaking adults and their children by providing programs in communications and life skills. Elaine is helping advance their vision that the ability to understand, read, write and speak English contributes to the independence, productivity and overall well-being of the learners, their families and the greater community.

Partner Profile: Scott Chase

Dallas attorney Scott Chase has been a partner with DSVP since 2007. Already a veteran of years of nonprofit involvement in the Dallas community, Scott viewed DSVP as the perfect avenue to blend his expertise and dollars with like-minded philanthropists to create an even greater impact on the community.

During his participation on the Investment Committee (the vehicle that DSVP partners use to select their nonprofit investees), Scott had the opportunity to make an even-deeper connection with Youth Village Resources, for whom he had previously provided pro bono legal advice. YVR provides job training programs, including dog training and culinary training, for residents of Dallas County Youth Village, a county detention facility for nonviolent young offenders. Scott has served as co-lead partner for YVR for three years. With DSVP’s help, YVR has undergone truly transformative organizational change, including building a robust board and strategic plan. Armed with a recent University of Texas at Dallas study (spearheaded by DSVP) which demonstrates the powerful results YVR’s training programs have on recidivism and employment prospects for program graduates, YVR is putting the finishing touches on an aggressive fundraising strategy.

Metrics are, of course, wonderful, but for Scott, the real payoff comes in hearing the stories of the impact on individual young men. A young man was recently asked what he learned from the dog training program. He thought about for a minute and said, “I learned you don’t have to abuse your kids.”

Partner Profile: Susie Morrissey

Susie Morrissey joined DSVP in 2006 and has been tireless in offering her assistance to our Investees (e.g. nonprofit beneficiaries of DSVP’s efforts) – especially by her ongoing participation in the Investment Committee, the vehicle DSVP uses to determine which nonprofits to take into their portfolio. A successful entrepreneur, Susie has a wide range of skills sets that she brings to organizations. She has been a Lead Partner several times, and most recently serves as the Co-Lead Partner, along with Murray Covens, at PediPlace – whose mission is to provide quality healthcare to children with limited access to care. She takes great pride in helping organizations create systems that improve their efficiency and help them make a more powerful impact in the communities they serve.

Partner Profile: Phyllis and Richard Bernstien

Prestonwood residents Phyllis and Richard Bernstein are avid travelers. They've gone on many journeys together, including to such exotic locations as Antarctica and the Arctic. And now that Richard has sold his successful business valuation firm and retired, he's joined Phyllis in another important journey—becoming an engaged philanthropist.

Phyllis, who stopped working as an audiologist to raise her children, has long played a prominent leadership role in Dallas nonprofit circles, including with The Volunteer Center of North Texas and the Center for Nonprofit Management. In 2011, Phyllis was honored for "Excellence in Mentoring" by the 46th Annual Women's Symposium at SMU. Phyllis carried the Olympic Torch after Troy Aikman passed it to her. The Dallas Morning News has recognized Phyllis as Volunteer of the Year.

Phyllis and Richard joined Dallas Social Venture Partners, a group which invests both time and expertise in helping nonprofits build capacity, in 2007, and quickly became one of DSVP's "power couples." Richard has lent his financial expertise to several of DSVP's grantees, including Youth Village Resource Center, and has also served on DSVP's Finance and Audit Committee and the committee that regularly reviews DSVP's portfolio of grants. Phyllis recently became the "co-lead partner" for VMLC, one of DSVP's newest grantees. (Lead partners act as liaison between the nonprofit grantee and the team of DSVP partners who are providing professional services to address specific needs of the nonprofit).

As you can see from this photograph, Phyllis and Richard are still enjoying their journey together!